Hose-bridge.



A. J. NEFF. HOSE BRIDGE. APPLICATION P-ILED APB,6, 1909. RENEWED JAN. 25, 1910.

955,280. Patented Apr. 19,1910.

c U YL, 1 J" (J Wihwooeo W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED J. NEFF, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

HOSE-BRIDGE.

Application filed. April 6, 1909, Serial No. 488,170.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. NEFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hose-Bridges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bridges for carrying cars over the hose pipes used in' connection with fire-engines, when said hose pipes are laid crosswise over the rails the cars run on; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the bridge. Fig. 2 is an end view.

A are the rails upon which the cars run.

B is a hose pipe used in case of fire and laid crosswise over the rails.

C are two bars having fiat bottoms and wedge-shaped end portions. Each bar is deepest at the middle and tapers to a point at each end so that the car wheels may run over it when it is placed on the rail. Each bar is provided with a slot D at its middle part which straddles the hose pipe, and prevents it from being crushed by the car. Each bridge-bar C has lugs d arranged in pairs upon the inner side of it and forming dovetailed slots 0. Each bar has also perforated lugs f on the other side of it for the reception of spikes or pins F. A brace G is provided between the two bars, and this brace is provided with two plates 9 arranged end to end and connected by an adjustable screw h.

I are rods arranged in pairs at the ends of the plates 9, and pivotally connected to them by pins The rods of each pair are arranged at an angle with each other, and they have dovetailed projections y at their outer ends which are dropped into engagement with the slots e.

The lugs (l which form the slots 0 are arranged upon opposite sides of the slot for the hose, so that the bridge-bars C are held over the rails by the brace. The pins F bear against the outer side edges of the rails when the adjusting screw it is tightened.

K are wedges provided with slots 70 at Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Renewed January 25, 1910. Serial No. 540,083.

their ends and slots m at their sides. These wedges are secured to the ground by spikes n placed in the said slots k and m, and the wedges are secured to the ground a little in advance of the thin ends of the bars C, for the purpose of enabling the car wheels to run easily onto the bridge-bars C, and to prevent the pointed ends of the bars from being broken.

This hose-bridge is inexpensive to make, and is readily secured in position so that the car traffic need not be stopped on account of the hose pipe being laid across it.

What I claim is:

1. In a hose-bridge, the combination, with two bridge-bars, each having wedge-shaped end portions and a slot for straddling a hose-pipe, of an adjustable brace having its end portions formed of rods pivoted to its main portion and arranged at an angle to each other and provided with means for connecting them to the said bridge-bars on opposite sides of their slots.

2. In a hose-bridge, the combination, with two bridge-bars, each having wedge-shaped end portions and a slot for straddling a hose-pipe, and a brace connecting the said bars together; of wedges which rest on the ground to one side of the pointed ends of the said bars, said wedges forming a more acute angle with the ground than the end portions of the bars and projecting above the level of their extreme ends, and means for securing the said wedges to the ground independent of the bridge-bars.

3. In a hose-bridge, the combination, with two bridge-bars each having wedge-shaped end portions and a slot for straddling a hose pipe at its middle part, each bar having also perforated lugs on its outer side and connecting lugs on its inner side upon opposite sides of its slot, of an adjustable brace having its end portions formed of rods pivoted to its main portion and arranged at an angle to each other and provided with coupling devices for engaging with the said connecting lugs, and pins for engaging with the said perforated lugs.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED J. NEFF.

Witnesses:

W. AFPURSLEY, WILL I-I. SCHNERMAN. 

